I don't have any problem waiting for the pages to load here --Rivieraranch

Rivieraranch, I know what you meant by your post but I did have to laugh a little as you seemed to have slow load time too, just no problem in waiting.

Well, I am glad that the website loads quickly for everyone else so it is just me. I use a cable modem so I am used to very quick response times. And last comment about this. I clicked on the Favorites bookmark at 8:22 local and was able to begin this post at about 8:34. In the meantime, launched new browsing sessions and I read two mini-reviews on the SE84C+ Zen Triode Stereo Amplifier and the CSP2 Zen Triode Preamplifier at Home Theater Review and the Ohm Walsh 5.5000 Upgrade thread and Defending Stereophile thread over at Audiogon.

Now about that post over at CNET about the schematic diagram, sometimes to fight the good fight means having to carry it to them. Play offense, not defense. It seems somebody further up the thread had a similar idea but it is on page 1 and I can't wait that long to load another session...

About 24 hours ago I started a thread on the Steve Hoffman forum about the ZSTAGE.

Members there are always asking for recommendations for something like the ZSTAGE. And they get responses about Marantz, Jolida, NAD, Creek, Musical Fidelity, Chinese preamps, etc. The ZSTAGE is so much more. . . . I started a thread and it has been viewed 74 times so far. . . and not one response. Which I guess is better than those usual "tubes color, no power, etc." comments.

Same here Lon. Started a thread on avsforum.com explaining how Decware Zboxes could be used instead of preamps to control both volume and balance on each dual channel of a 7.1 setup. Audiophiles were wondering how best to set up the new Oppo BDP 95 (audiophile Blue Ray player) to best take advantage of its features (like dedicated studio DACS). Not one response.

This proves Lon's point, if it is not a brand name.....dead silence. I find it interesting people don't pick up on the fact that Steve's Amps are not directly heated triodes (DHT's), well they get that part I hope, are Pentodes run in Triode that can drive 4 and 2 ohm loads down to a dead short. Transformers are his wind and he has an EX Traney too.

These facts convinced me to try the Zen Select and the rest is History. Guttenberg made it clear in his article too, "good bass-not your typical tube amp (I'm paraphrasing)"....and it is made clear in Steve's papers etc.... .

A lot of people can't break free of their ignorance and arrogance.....as DMB says....ants marching?

I too have had similar experiences in the past however in recent months I've found there to be a far more accepting mentality among those I've come across and mentioned Decware to.

Case in point, I recently took delivery of a pair of new Omen Def loudspeakers from Zu Audio (in for review) and I began breaking them in on my Zen Select (1st generation) and was detailing the experience on another forum and a few different Facebook pages-to my surprise the response was very positive and open.

I know I've turned quite a few people on to Decware in the past few months, I even know one well-known speaker manufacturer who ordered up a Decware amp after I cited it in one of my recent reviews.

I'm proud to be a Decware owner and follower all these years and I think given the current economic times and over stimulation that has plagued the so-called high-end space people are looking for a simpler, Zen, solution.

In keeping with what I like to hear/exploit from my Loudspeakers with the Zen Select.....I am going to try these below and see if they can dethrone my LS-90's. I want to hear how they fare in my 2nd system too for HT, Sirius SAT Radio, HDTV broadcast and Solid State Music listening (8 out of 10 discs are with the Zen Select though).

We talk about recommending this or that, finding the flatest response, with the 'best' cables/speakers/amps etc. We even talk about the importance of room acoustics and what the best time of day might be to listen. Now you don't have to recommend Decware to me, because I am very impressed on many levels about it's performance and the value it has. But no one anywhere will remember that we aren't near perfect ourselves(most of us are over 50 i bet). My point is this; When was the last time you had a hearing test? Almost as important; does mood affect listening? I know that before lunch, my hearing is better, but my mood is not. Is the enviroment you live in(neighborhood) quiet? And do we make an attempt for those things we can change, to change them? Or do we just look for the next 'miracle capacitor'? Back to basics i.e. when I started out with this hobby/obsession, I listened on incredibly inferior equipment, and yet those were some of the more memorable times. No doubt Decware is a fine choice both in value and performance, maybe we could just leave it at that and enjoy it for what it is, not so much of what it can incrementally become......

Audiophiles are bombarded with reviews of mega watt amplifiers that have the "grip" and "bass control" that only high wattage (insert tube or transistor)amps deliver.

Of course they have no experience with DecWare amps.

I have made a few references about my recent positive experiences with my Zenselect, and stated how powerful those 2 DecWare watts are.

Almost all the posts thereafter , say it just can't be possible to get the type of sound that I am describing with the type of amplifier I am talking about.

I figure their loss my gain.

So trying to change these long held misconceptions about power quantity vs power quality is one tough nut to crack.

Maybe my amp and speaker combination(Ref 3A Grand Veena)really is at the crux of the matter and I am one of the fortunate to have such a winning combination,but unless you try a DecWare amp with whatever speakers you own, how will you know?

"Same here Lon. Started a thread on avsforum.com explaining how Decware Zboxes could be used instead of preamps to control both volume and balance on each dual channel of a 7.1 setup. Audiophiles were wondering how best to set up the new Oppo BDP 95 (audiophile Blue Ray player) to best take advantage of its features (like dedicated studio DACS). Not one response. "--ny10522

Interesting. I am going to find that thread in a few minutes as I do have a question about that!

"It's really hard to make that first leap into an SET.--Lon

The price of admission into the SET / Decware universe is tantalizing small but after having had some unfortunate experiences with buying audio gear sight unseen and sound unheard, I have decided not to purchase any gear until at least I have had a chance to audition it, if not in my home, at least somewhere. And more to the point, I have decided to go to this year's Decware Zenfest to see for myself.

Has the idea of creating a thread devoted to an owner's audition list ever been widely discussed online (or offline) here? Opening up one's home to strangers is a decision that needs to be made carefully. However, enthusiasts of other smaller boutique brands have embraced this idea with generally very good results.

"Doesn't Decware (still) have a 30 day return policy?-best audition there is. One's own home, with one's own electronics"--Doorman

Hi Don, Yes, of course Decware does have the 30-day home audition trial, and no, there isn't a better way to audition than in one's own home with one's own gear. Thirty days is cool; 120 days (Walsh Ohm is even better) so keeping that in mind, it isn't feasible (for me) to simply try out a multitude of gear in my home after adding in shipping costs and re-stocking fees.

I get the sense that if I decide to make the leap to SET (using Lon's words), might mean switching out a number of my components. With that being said, the Zen Fest in the Fall seems to be a necessity, but I am also hoping to find some Decware owners within a few hours drive of my location where I can drop by for a listening session.

For me, today, I think my focus is on speakers, and to do that right, for me, is to audition as many as I can, and then begin making what might hopefully be an informed decision to begin trying a select few in my home.

Don, someone on the Hoffman forum interestingly noted that to return a component within 30 days means a restocking fee of 15 percent and freight two ways, not a light thing. I had never thought of that. . .I've only once been tempted to send back a Decware product and didn't.

Speaking for myself, I've had several persons over who wanted to hear Decware sound over the years, but I haven't had any Decware listening get togethers and aren't inclined in that direction. I do usually have a weekly gathering of two or three friends, we used to watch Lost together live or on dvr, we now watch Fringe, and we listen to music and have a great time. They think my system sounds amazing. That's the main reason the event is at my place 90 percent of the time.

Yes, while I too understand why the re-stocking fee is necessary, I agree that a 15% charge is a significant pile of dough (sigh!)It's an increasing problem,ie: how to audition equipment when "traditional" retailers are fast disappearing.I doubt that Steve get many returns, but there's always that chance buying without hearing---Best, Don